A COMPANY that puts polystyrene "coats" on houses is helping to slash emissions from Britain's ageing housing stock.

Sedgefield company Rend-tech North East has covered hundreds of Teesside properties with its polystyrene and mineral-fibre insulation since setting up four years ago.

Now it employs 49 staff and sub-contractors and is on course for a £4m turnover in 2013/14.

Many Teesside properties are solid-wall structures with no cavity to insulate.

It’s thought more than a third of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions come from energy lost through buildings including ageing housing stock - about the same as emissions from industry.

Rend-Tech bosses say the system they use, which saves up to 35% of heat loss, is helping to dent those figures.

It’s not the only company using the technology - but it is building a strong portfolio of work with housing associations and big construction companies.

The company has just completed a £250,000 contract for Coast and Country Housing in Eston and a £760,000 contract for Frank Haslam Milan for 200 houses.

Managing director Simon Fletcher set up the business when he realised there would be a big demand for exterior home insulation.

“Utility companies have to reduce the amount of carbon produced by their customers under Government-led targets, otherwise they’re fined a percentage of their revenue. Heat escapes through the walls of a building, this is just like putting a coat on.

“A lot of the houses we are working on at the moment were built after the war to solve the housing crisis and were due to last about 20 years.

“Insulating a house from the inside causes major disruption and decreases the amount of internal living space.

“We knew there was going to be a boom for housing.

“Now we have got a massive amount of work.”

The company’s projects include residential schemes in Middlesbrough and Billingham and it’s also just worked on Roseberry Park Hospital in Middlesbrough for Laing O’Rourke.